Campus blood drives produce encouraging results

PRINCESS ANNE, MD - (April 19, 2011) - Students, faculty, staff and friends of the university made two campus blood drives this school year the most productive in recent memory.

A community service project co-sponsored earlier this month by UMES' Office of Resident Life and the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions generated 63 pints of blood for the Blood Bank of Delmarva. A similar initiative in December produced an additional 48 donated pints.

"This (total) is the most donors in one year (at UMES) since I started working at the Blood Bank 12 years ago," account executive Suzanne Murray said.

Murray was encouraged by a strong turnout April 13 at the Hytche Athletic Center, where 102 people expressed interest in donating. Some were turned away, she said, after mandatory pre-screening by trained phlebotomists.

"The largest (reason for a) deferral is 'low iron' among young women," Murray said. Making changes in diet, by eating foods rich in iron, is one strategy for correcting the blood disorder.

"Many of the students … feel let down and disappointed … they weren't able to save a life," Murray said, "but I try to let them know they should still feel good about trying to donate."

"They are still part of the very small minority of people who care enough to come out and help," she said.

In addition to the blood drive, dozens of student volunteers sporting customized T-shirts also fanned out into the community to take on other public service projects.

Some planted trees, did landscaping and tackled clean-up projects in Princess Anne, Westover, Crisfield as well as Salisbury, where one group of pharmacy students worked with Habitat for Humanity.